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The Covenant of Mayors signatory Nantes Métropole has recently concluded
its pioneering Great Debate on the energy transition, which lasted for
one year and involved over 53,000 people.

Nantes Métropole signed the Covenant of Mayors already in 2008, and has committed to reducing its GHG emissions by 50% and tripling its local renewable energy production by 2030. In order to boost its energy transition and better involve its citizens and local stakeholders in the design of its climate and energy policies, the Metropolitan Council launched in September 2016 a Great Debate entitled "The Energy Transition is All of Us". This one-year long debate was overseen by an independent citizen-only commission and is the only one of its kind in France.

As a result of Nantes' Great Debate, 500 citizens directly tested and experimented with innovative new ways of implementing the energy transition on Nantes' territory. Their impressive work has resulted in:

the successful launch of 10 crowdfunding campaigns

the evaluation of 12 projects led by Nantes Métropole and its member municipalities, with the formulation of practical recommendations

the production of an "energy conservation" guide

the development of 5 projects for collective enquiry and action.

In their final report on the city's Great Debate on the energy transition, the citizen-only commission praised that the involved citizens produced well-argued, experience-based proposals. They called upon the Metropolitan Council, the local municipal councils and local stakeholders to take on board these community aspirations and initiatives in a shared roadmap. This roadmap is planned to be finalised in early 2018 and shall then be adopted by the Nantes' Metropolitan Councillors.

Johanna Rolland, Mayor of Nantes and President of Nantes Métropole: "The momentum generated by the Great Debate will continue, and work meetings will be organised with the communities and stakeholders in autumn 2017. The roadmap that Metropolitan Councillors will adopt in early 2018 will be the result of a joint effort between the people of Nantes Métropole and the Metropolitan Council".

To find out more about Nantes' Great Debate on the energy transition, check out their website